18 Incredibly Beautiful Villages and Towns in China

Wuyuan County in China’s southeastern Jiangxi Province is known for being the home of some of the country’s best-preserved ancient architecture. Most of the county is rural and dotted with quaint villages. One such village is Likeng. Built in the year 1010, the village preserves the region’s unique Hui architecture, which is typified by whitewashed walls and cyan blue rooftops. Though the village charges an entrance fee to tourists, it is a worthwhile point from which to view the blossoming canola flowers in the spring and admire the local calligraphy under camphor trees as old as the village itself.

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Another must-see stop on the tour of rural China is Yunnan’s Luoping County, renowned for its unique karstic hills and endless fields of yellow. Nestled among the fields and hills is little Niujie Village, around which the canola flowers bloom splendidly on tiered meadows reminiscent of rice terraces. The best time to visit Niujie is from February to March, when the flowers are at their peak.

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If you like Guilin and Yangshuo but hate crowds, Huangyao Ancient Town is the place for you. Situated on the lower reaches of the Li River about a three and a half hour drive from Guilin, Huangyao has all the charm of the neighboring towns and cities without the same kitschification. The families who reside in the village today, most of whom are surnamed either Huang or Yao, are the same ones whose ancestors founded the town 900 years ago. Huangyao presents lucky visitors with typical old China scenes that they hope for but don’t expect.

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With few international tourists aware of Sichuan Province’s Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, those who do make the six hour trek from Chengdu are rewarded with unspoiled views unlike those anywhere else. And within the heart of the prefecture, far away from polluted cities, lie the Danba Villages, considered by some as the most beautiful villages in all of China. Each village in the cluster is made up of unique Tibetan style folk houses, which are built on the sun-facing slopes of the mountains. They are typically painted red, yellow, and black, with religious iconography adorning the walls. At the top of the houses are four white turrets, which represent the deities of the hills, trees, rivers and fields, respectively.

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Though the Longji Rice Terraces are perhaps China’s most iconic, the Yuanyang Rice Terraces are arguably China’s most beautiful. Seeing the way the morning sun rays bounce playfully off the flooded fields in winter, it’s hard to believe that people can live in a place so majestic. Yet burrowed between the Duoyishu and Bada terraces is a village populated by the Hani and Yi ethnic peoples. On market days, locals gather around to buy and sell fresh produce, livestock, cultural wares, and more. And unlike other ethnic villages in the area, Shengcun does not charge an entrance fee.

Though Hongcun is one of China’s most well-known ancient villages, its popularity has not spoiled its singularity. After a climb through the stunning Yellow Mountains, rest for a while in this foothill village, which was the filming site for select scenes from Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Centered around a moon-shaped pond, the village was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its well-preserved Ming and Qing-era architecture.

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Though Shiwei is more town than village in style, its small size makes it a fitting addition to this list. Located in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia on the border with Russia, Shiwei combines the best aspects of three cultures: Russian, Mongolian, and Han Chinese. Ride a horse through the grasslands by day, eat the local fusion delicacies by night, and sleep it all off in a Mongolian-style yurt – or ger – with nothing but the sound of cattle to lull you into your dreams.

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Looking around at the log houses of Hemu Village, it’s hard to believe you’re in China at all. But this village, populated by the Tuwa minority, is the perfect demonstration of the country’s diversity. Situated on the banks of the magnificent Kanas Lake, Hemu Village is gaining popularity for the idyllic lifestyle it promotes. Yet most of the residents don’t rely on tourism money to survive, persisting instead in the local specialty of animal husbandry.

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With nearby Shanghai busy at all hours of the day, Tongli Ancient Town is a surprising and welcome respite. Tongli is one of the area’s smallest water towns and one of the quietest. Tourists used to flock here for the China Sex Museum, but it has since closed, making Tongli a relaxing and crowd-free stop on the way to Suzhou, the “Venice of the East”. Its architecture is similar to that of more frequented alternative Zhouzhuang, but on a much smaller scale. Highlights include 15 canals and more than 40 bridges. Entrance to the town is RMB100 (US$15).

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Nicknamed “China Snow Town” for its annual seven-month-long snowfall, Shuangfeng Forest Farm is where you want to be if you wish to experience China’s deepest snows. Over the years, China Snow Town, once a one-street logging village, has slowly transformed into a charming tourist destination, with many of the original homes now converted into guesthouses. Visitors may reach the town via a tourist bus from the city of Mudanjiang.

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Home to the largest concentration of ethnic minorities in the southern Guizhou province, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is a wonderful place to experience unique cultures just minutes from each other. Some of the towns in the prefecture have given way to the tourism monster and capitalized on their uniqueness by selling tickets to ethnic dance performances and the like, but many are still worth visiting for their rural vibes and one-of-a-kind architecture. One such village is Langde, where visitors can experience the vibrant Miao culture without feeling like they’re in a human zoo. The village itself is said to look like a mirage from far away, due to its position among hills and water.

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Often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East’, Zhouzhuang – located in between Shanghai and Suzhou in China’s Jiangsu province – is one of the country’s most beautiful water towns. Simply walking the town’s pretty streets and the charming stone bridges that cross its rivers and waterways is a pleasure in itself. But the 900-year-old town is also home to plenty of sights bound to please history buffs. These sights include Zhang Ting – a sprawling, Ming Dynasty era residence home to six courtyards and more than 70 rooms – and Quanfu Temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple nestled on the edges of Baixian Lake.

Nestled at the foot of verdant mountains on the edges of the Tuojiang River, Fenghuang was hailed as the most beautiful town in China by New Zealand-born writer and political activist Rewi Alley. The ancient Hunan town is home to many Miao people whose customs and culture can be seen everywhere. There are traditional stilted wooden houses, or ‘diaojiaolou’, along the river and batik printed cloths sold in its stores alongside local culinary delicacies like spicy pickled red peppers and ginger candy. Meanwhile local historical sites of note include Huang Si Qiao Castle – built in 687 and China’s best preserved stone castle. It is located a few kilometers west of town.

Over in western Yunnan not far from the Burmese border lies the small, remote town of Heshun, home to just 6,000 people. A former stop-off on the Southern Silk Road, also known as the Tea Horse Road, many of Heshun’s earlier residents took advantage of its location and travelled abroad. They built splendid houses mixing both Chinese and foreign architectural styles when they returned. This can still be seen in the town today. Walking its pretty cobblestone streets, visitors will come across local sights like Heshun Library, one of the country’s biggest rural libraries. There is also a memorial to Chinese philosopher Ai Siqi.

Famed for the dramatic karst mountains that surround it, Yangshuo is a vibrant, tourist-friendly town nestled on the banks of the Li River in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Though the town has seen a boom in visitors in recent years, Yangshuo has managed to retain its historic character. Its modern restaurants and stores are concentrated around West Street, the town’s main drag and its oldest dating back more than 1,400 years. Among them, visitors will find plenty of traditional architecture and charm. Indulge in some slow travel and catch a boat down the Li River from neighboring Guilin. It’s undoubtedly the most scenic way to arrive in Yangshuo.

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An oasis in the barren expanse of the Gobi Desert, is the small northwestern town of Dunhuang. Formerly one of the most important stopping points along the Silk Road, this place is a haven for history buffs. There are no less than 241 historic sites of note dotted in and around the town. Just outside the town, visitors will find the White Horse Pagoda. This was believed to have been constructed in 382 to commemorate the horse of Buddhist monk that carried Buddhist scriptures from Kucha to Dunhuang. Nearby is the Mogao Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to a treasure trove of Buddhist art.

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A small isle located a short boat ride from the city of Xiamen, Gulangyu Island gets its name from two Chinese words – ‘gu’ meaning drum and ‘lang’ meaning waves – and is so-called for the drum-like sounds the tide makes when it hits the reef that surrounds the island. A tranquil retreat from the busy nearby city, Gulangyu is listed by the China National Tourism Administration as an AAAAA Scenic Area. It was formerly an international settlement and is noted for its beautiful colonial, Victorian-style architecture. Home to China’s only Piano Museum, the town’s other must-see local sights include the beautiful Shuzhuang Garden. Meanwhile a trip up Sunlight Rock – the Gulangyu’s highest point – offers breathtaking views over the island and coastline.

Dali is a beautiful old town nestled on the edges of Erhai Lake famed for its natural beauty and stunning locally mined marble. Grand city gates welcome visitors to the town and give way to cobbled streets home to a host of beautifully preserved traditional Bai folk houses. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple – dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries – are a sight to behold. Plenty of authentic handicrafts, from artwork made of local marble to embroidered Bai cloths, are available to purchase on the streets. Another Dali must-do is the three-course tea – a Bai tradition of greeting guests with courses of bitter, sweet and ‘aftertaste’ tea.